Women's race confirmed for TdF

After years of discussion and many months of vocal petitioning by 220 contributor Chrissie Wellington and others, a women's race is to be held at this year's Tour de France on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

"We really hope that La Course at Le Tour 2014 marks the beginning of a long-term strategy for women's cycling at the Tour de France," said Chrissie. "Le Tour is the pinnacle of professional cycling and this race is the start of an exciting new era."

The campaign gathered momentum after a manifesto was published last September by Le Tour Entier, founded by high-profile female athletes Marianne Vos, Chrissie Wellington, Emma Pooley and Kathryn Bertine. So far the LTE has gathered more than 95,000 signatures for its online petition calling for the women's race.

This year's women's race will be held on 27 July, with full details (including format and participating teams) to be unveiled at an official launch in the spring.

Are you celebrating the addition of a women's race to the Tour de France? Let us know in the comments below!